02-08-2010, 03:46 PM
This sort of architecture is being done all over the world. While it's not necessarily a 'bad thing', it does increase the maintenance cost of the facility. It's that maintenance cost, and the additional cost to construct the facility, that people are complaining about.
Of course if all we cared about in government facilities was cost, we'd just toss up a few Quonset huts and be done with it. Right ? Historically government buildings have been hugely expensive 'memorials' to the officious officials that created them. Think White House, Capitol dome, etc.
Will a growing green building cost more to build and maintain ? You betcha ! Will it raise the morale of the people inside and around it by being around growing things ? Perhaps. I know it would raise my morale if I was a denizen of that domain. I'm not.
End result ? If you're looking at this in terms of cost, it's boondoggle. But then pretty much most of that kind of stuff IS. I'm sure the city has a buttload of vacant commerical space that would be useful. Every city does.
If you're running around mouthing off about 'green this' and 'green that'... well, BS, but you're buying a LOT of votes in a very 'greenish' town. So it's probably satisfying the #1 rule of ANY government spending.
GET RE-ELECTED.
Of course if all we cared about in government facilities was cost, we'd just toss up a few Quonset huts and be done with it. Right ? Historically government buildings have been hugely expensive 'memorials' to the officious officials that created them. Think White House, Capitol dome, etc.
Will a growing green building cost more to build and maintain ? You betcha ! Will it raise the morale of the people inside and around it by being around growing things ? Perhaps. I know it would raise my morale if I was a denizen of that domain. I'm not.
End result ? If you're looking at this in terms of cost, it's boondoggle. But then pretty much most of that kind of stuff IS. I'm sure the city has a buttload of vacant commerical space that would be useful. Every city does.
If you're running around mouthing off about 'green this' and 'green that'... well, BS, but you're buying a LOT of votes in a very 'greenish' town. So it's probably satisfying the #1 rule of ANY government spending.
GET RE-ELECTED.